New Delhi: The Ladakh residents are on protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding statehood, sixth schedule under Constitution, job reservation, a separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh, and two parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil
In August 2019, the government of India stripped Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh of statehood and divided them into two union territories.
The protest came as residents demand statehood to Ladakh, constitutional safeguards under the sixth schedule, two separate parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil, and the formation of a public service commission.
The two groups, which came together with a set of demands for Ladakh, will hold a daylong protest in the national capital on Wednesday, activist and politician Sajjad Hussain told PTI.
“When Ladakh was made a Union Territory, we were promised development. However, it’s been four years and we cannot see any development happening,” Hussain told PTI.
“Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance are holding a joint protest. We are raising a four point agenda, under which our demands are statehood for Ladakh, sixth schedule under Constitution, job reservation, a separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh, and two parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil,” he said.
Ladakh-based activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, who had recently gone on a five-day ‘climate fast’, to ‘save Ladakh’, said the protest is being held in Delhi so that their voice reaches the government.
“We raised our voice from Ladakh, but no one has reached out to us yet. Perhaps our voice did not reach them, so we have come to Delhi to hold a protest,” Wangchuk told PTI.
“We have been talking to the government, but in the last three years, the process has stagnated. I did a symbolic protest by holding a fast, we were hoping the government will call us for discussions at least. Sadly, no invitation has been given so far,” he said.
“It is our duty as citizens to raise our voice and the duty of the government to listen to us,” Wangchuk added.
Pertinently, in January this year, the Home Ministry of India constituted a high-powered committee headed by Minister of State Nityanand Rai to “ensure protection of land and employment” for the people of Ladakh.
The two bodies, however, rejected the committee, and decided not to attend any meeting conducted under its aegis, saying the mandate of the committee did not mention the issues raised by them.
